The state's gaming regulators selected Dean Serpa, who was once Gov. Charlie Baker’s deputy chief of staff, to be the next executive director of the Mass. Gaming Commission. They offered him the job on Monday.
Commissioners were interested in Serpa because of his exceptional experience in operations, according to Commissioner Eileen O’Brien. Commissioner Brad Hill preferred Serpa because he wants a manager in that role.
The other finalist for the job was Clinton Dick, the general counsel at the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, who also interviewed for the job on Monday.
After a brief discussion and a vote to offer the job to Serpa, the commission went into a private session to work out the details of the offer.
During his public interview on Monday, Serpa described himself as a manager of people and projects. He expressed his enjoyment in leading teams to complete projects and believed he excelled in this role.
If he accepts the job, Serpa will take over an agency that has recently expanded its mission with the addition of legal sports betting. The Gaming Commission oversees activities at the state’s one slots parlor and two resort-style casinos, supervises live horse racing, and now has oversight of sports betting both at physical sportsbooks and through a handful of mobile/online platforms.
The commission is dealing with several issues, including illegal sports bets, problems related to sports betting advertisements and promotions, the proposal to expand the gambling spaces around Encore Boston Harbor, and low usage of responsible gambling tools. There is also one remaining casino license authorized by the state’s 2011 expanded gaming law that has not been issued.
Todd Grossman has been serving as the acting executive director since mid-July, following the departure of former commission head Karen Wells. Wells was initially the interim executive director before accepting the role permanently. She took over from Edward Bedrosian, who resigned to work in private practice. Rick Day was the commission’s first executive director.
Serpa's career in state government began in the 1990s, where he managed various operations for Gov. William Weld’s administration. He has also held roles such as deputy chief of staff for MassDevelopment, chief of staff at the Executive Office of Economic Development, and director of the Massachusetts Office of Business Development.
After leaving the state government, Serpa started and ran Full Impact Productions, Inc., where he supervised a company that arranged and carried out inaugural galas, fundraisers, press conferences, and events for world leaders and major corporations. In 2008, he returned to state government as chief marketing officer for the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority.
Serpa was involved in Baker’s first gubernatorial campaign, working in 2009 and 2010 as chief operating officer of the campaign. His resume states that he “established and managed all operations for statewide gubernatorial effort” and “developed and managed a $14M budget.”
When Baker was elected in 2014 and took office in early 2015, Serpa became the director of operations. He spent Baker’s second term as deputy chief of staff for operations and administration. During Baker’s two terms, Serpa was a familiar face around the State House and at the governor’s events.
In his final days in office last year, Baker appointed Serpa to chair the Gaming Policy Advisory Committee, a group that makes non-binding recommendations to the Gaming Commission.
At the start of Monday’s meeting, commission Chairwoman Cathy Judd-Stein announced that she would recuse herself from the interview, deliberation and selection processes since her final day on the commission is this Thursday and she will not have an opportunity to work with the next executive director.
“I want to thank all of those who submitted applications for the role of executive director and wish the person selected the very best of luck,” Judd-Stein said before leaving the room where interviews were to be held. “The selected candidate will inherit a committed and talented team as they begin their new position.”
Commissioner Jordan Maynard, one of two commissioners who served on the screening committee that whittled the field of 74 executive director applicants down to the two finalists, announced at the outset of the meeting that he planned to file a disclosure “in a cautionary measure” to make clear that he has previously worked with both of the finalists.
“I am confident that I can perform my official duties objectively and fairly today and not let my previous work history with these two candidates influence my decision,” Maynard said.
In some ways, Maynard ended up being the deciding vote Monday. During the commission’s public deliberations, O’Brien and Hill both said they were leaning towards selecting Serpa for the job and Commissioner Nakisha Skinner said her preference was to offer the job to Dick. Maynard was the fourth of four commissioners to share his thoughts and his preference.
“You know, I have to think about this. Not just in relation of these two candidates, which by the way, I think either one of them could do the job,” Maynard said. He added, “I understand why the chair recused herself, but that means that we have four people here. Having heard everything that came before me — if I were to lean one way, it goes to a draw, if I were to lean the other, it settles this issue for the agency. And for those reasons, I will join the majority in forming a consensus to not deprive the agency of the leadership that’s needed, and perhaps have weeks or months longer where we are without an executive director for the commission.”
— Colin A. Young / State House News Service
